Gilmour basketball: John Curran leads Lancers to quest for another state title

Imagine walking into a casino for the first time, sitting down at the poker table, looking at your cards and seeing you’ve been dealt a royal flush.

You resist the temptation to jump up and down, high-five everyone around you or even crack a smile.

You just play the wonderful hand you’ve been dealt.

Welcome to the world of John Curran.

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After many years as an assistant, Curran is undertaking his first venture as a head coach of reigning Division III state champion Gilmour, a team that returns three starters, including 2017 Ms. Basketball finalist Naz Hillmon.

In poker terms, worse hands have been dealt than the one Curran is holding.

“Yeah, it’s a very good hand,” said Curran with a chuckle. “Historically, that’s not always the case (for a new coach).”

Curran takes over for Bob Beutel, whose contract was not renewed after leading the Lancers to the D-III state title this past March.

Curran and his staff got a later-than-normal start, since he said he was not approved as the new coach until late August, but the Lancers have hit the ground running with a 3-1 record.

Because of the OHSAA’s Competitive Balance measure, Gilmour has bumped up from D-III to D-II this year, but Curran said the goals haven’t changed.

That tends to happen when you have a lineup that includes 6-foot-2 Michigan recruit Hillmon, two starting guards returning in Sarah Bohn and Annika Corcoran, a do-it-all, experienced forward in Emma Gurley and a fine cast of newcomers that includes 5-11 freshman Athena Hocevar.

“It’s talked about,” Curran said of a state championship. “When I accepted the job, everyone knew what the goal was. We’re not naive. We have a very good and recognized player back as well as others. Everyone knows what we are shooting for.”

Curran is no stranger to the basketball scene. Most recently he was an assistant coach at Magnificat for six years alongside then-coach Meghann Hubach.

He took a year off from coaching last year, then applied for the vacant Gilmour job.

He is joined on his staff by Pete Carroll, a former assistant for Case Western Reserve’s men’s basketball team, and Katie Berry, a St. Joseph Academy product who played collegiately at Walsh University.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Curran said. “It’s a new year and a new group. There’s a lot of talent in the program. They’re getting used to how we want to do things, and we’re getting used to things they’ve done in the past.

“It’s a work in progress, but we’re getting better every single day.”

Not surprisingly, the player most identify Gilmour with is Hillmon, the daughter of former Ohio Ms. Basketball Na’Sheema Hillmon.

Hillmon is coming off a junior campaign in which she averaged 15.8 points and 13.1 rebounds per game.

In two state tournament games in March, she totaled 40 points and 33 rebounds while making 16 of 25 (64 percent) shots.

“I knew from playing against her and scouting against her (while at Magnificat) that she’s a major talent,” Curran said. “What I didn’t know is how good of a leader and person she is. She’s a great player, but every bit as good of a person and leader.”

The experience of Bohn and Corcoran is a major plus. Gurley came off the bench last year for Gilmour, but likely would have been a starter for many (if not most) other teams in the area.

There is an acclimation process of course, considering prior to the first practice, Curran’s familiarity with his new team was basically watching film.

But so far, so good.

“To be fair, I didn’t see them much last year besides tape,” he said. ‘I know the result was pretty good and they lost a really good shooter (Emily Kelley) to graduation.

“We’re trying to move the ball and play at a reasonable pace, maybe play a little faster than they did last year based on what I saw on tape. And we want to defend aggressively.”

Gilmour lost to Huber Heights Wayne in a southern Ohio showcase, but then defeated Centerville, St. Joseph Academy and Akron Buchtel.

The goal, he said, is to get back down to the state tournament and see if the Lancers can get a D-II state title to go with the D-III crown they brought home this past March.

“There is (pressure) but I want it to be a good journey for the girls,” he said. “There’s outside pressure on the girls, but at the end of the day you talk about trying to get young women to appreciate the dynamic of being part of a situation like this and working toward a common goal.

“We’re focusing on what we can control — getting better and improving as a team.”